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tv   Newsline  PBS  November 22, 2012 7:00pm-7:30pm PST

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welcome to nhk world "newsline." people in israel and gaza spent their first night in more than a week resting instead of worrying about the possibility of an attack. a cease-fire between the israeli government and the palestinian group hamas seems to be holding. they agreed to it after long negotiations involving egypt, the united states and the u.n.
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business owners at a gaza market dusted off their shops in preparation for reopening. >> translator: the cease-fire will bring life back to normal and i thank god. >> translator: i don't have faith in israel. it could ignore the cease-fire. >> israeli military spokespersons say several rockets from gaza landed on their side of the border immediately after the truce took effect, but they say no more have come since then. some smaller palestinian militant groups didn't agree to the cease-fire, so they could theoretically continue sporadic attacks from gaza. hamas and israel promised in the cease-fire agreement to end all hostilities, including rocket attacks in the targeting of individuals. israeli officials pledged to open border crossings and allow the free movement of people and goods. the conflict between israeli troops and hamas fighters began wednesday of last week.
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days of air strikes and rocket fire killed more than 160 palestinians and 5 israelis. south koreans will soon the u.s. ambassador is used to defending her foreign policy decisions. susan rice has broken her silence to defend herself. she's a candidate for secretary of state but she's faced scrutiny because of comments she made on the attack in benghazi, libya. rice made a tv appearance immediately after the september 11th attack. she suggested protests in benghazi over a u.s.-made film that mocked the prophet mohammed triggered the assault on the consulate. investigators later determined it was likely a premeditated plot by extremists. the attackers killed the ambassador and three other americans. rice broke her silence wednesday in response to rising criticism
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from members of the republican party. >> i relied solely and squarely on the information provided to me by the intelligence community. i made clear that the information was preliminary. and that our investigations would give us the definitive answers. >> republican lawmakers are mounting a campaign against a possible plan by president barack obama to nominate rice as secretary of state to replace hillary clinton. they say she's not qualified or fit for the job. obama criticized the republicans last week. he called their attacks on rice outrageous. south koreans will soon learn who will be in the running to become their next president. registration of candidates starts on sunday, kicking off election campaigning. three hopefuls have already said they're ready for the job. the ruling party is ahead in the opinion polls.
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pak is a daughter of former president. she's aiming to be the country's to be the first woman president. moon was a close aide to the late president. an independent contender. awning is a software entrepreneur who gained fame for his anti-virus programs. some call him the bill gates of south korea. representatives of moon and aung have been talking about joining forces. they held their first and only debate on wednesday to decide who should go up against pak. >> translator: i think i'm the best prepared candidate for those who want to run for president because of my experience in national politics. >> moon criticized aung for his lack of political experience, saying he's better suited to lead the country. aung responded by saying that south korean politics needs to
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change and that he is the one who can do that. >> translator: one citizen told me i should run for president. otherwise, the people will never be able to regain control of politics. i won't forget this. >> about policies towards north korea, moon said the south and north should hold an inter-korean summit as soon as possible. >> translator: you have to have a detailed plan from the beginning of your campaign. once i am elected, i will carry out my plan. >> translator: if you set a deadline for a summit, you lose the initiative during negotiations and the summit could become merely an event. >> the debate produced no apparent winner. the two discussed in person how to resolve the single candidate issue on thursday, but so far they have made no progress. earlier, shery ahn spoke
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with okomoto. he has covered the last two south carolina south korean elections in 2002 and in 2007. >> what was your impression of the tv debate? >> yes, moon and ahn, although moon and ahn are opponents in the race, they were not very adversary. they didn't criticize each other very much. this means to me that they do not consider themselves enemies, but partners hoping for victory in the presidential election. staff members from both sides have frequently spoken of a unified candidacy, but they have yet to agree on who that unified candidate should be. >> it's less than a month until the election. why are they still unable to decide? >> yeah. each side realizes that only a public poll can decide on a unified candidate, but they're arguing how such a poll should be taken.
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moon of the democratic party is saying the question should be, who would be the most appropriate candidate. independent ahn is saying the candidate should be the one with the best chance of beating the ruling parties. approval ratings vary according to how poll questions are asked. >> do you think they will eventually be able to come up with a unified candidate? >> i can't say for sure. neither candidate appears willing to drop out of the race. ahn is now very popular, especially among younger voters. on the other hand, moon was officially selected as the nominee from among formal members of the democratic united party. both candidates advocate political reform. various polls indicate that neither moon nor ahn alone can beat pak.
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only their combined approval rate exceeds that of their rival. official candidate registration begins on sunday. so our time is limited. the key is trusting each enough to work together and take power from the ruling party. >> and that was nhk world's kengo okamoto. people in south korea are planning events to mark the shelling of an island two years ago. pyongyang's military leaders warn they will attack the island if the commemorations go ahead. a border island west of the pens lan in 2001. two members of south korean's and two civilians died. north korea's military leaders issued a statement, saying they will again turn the island into a sea of fire if south koreans hold the planned memorials. the statement says such an event would be an act of provocation that would bring about a 100-fold increase in the people's armies willful
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-- will for retaliation. north korea has repeatedly criticized the candidate in next month's election. analysts say the harsh criticism shows pyongyang's apparent wish a more conciliatory administration elected in the south. a global credit rating agency has downgraded the debts of consumer electronics makers panasonic and sony to below investment grade. fitch ratings lowered the debt rating of panasonic by two notches to bb, that's down from bbb minus. it cited weak demand for its core products. stemming from intense competition. panasonic is projecting a huge net loss through march 2013, which will make it the second straight year of red ink. fitch has also cut sony's level by three ratings to bb minus down from bbb minus. sony posted a net loss of $500
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million in its half-year earnings report through september. earlier this month, another consumer electronics firm, sharp, also suffered a downgrade. all the electronics companies have been struggling due to a strong yen and heated competition from apple and samsung. indonesia is southeast asia's largest economy and it continues to grow. laborers are voicing demands for their own piece of the success. workers around the country are asking for higher pay to cope with the rising cost of living. our bureau in bangkok has the details. >> reporter: thousands of workers took to the streets of jakarta on thursday to demonstrate they oppose low wages and a plan to cover welfare costs. protesters gathered near the presidential palace and marched to the parliament building calling for an increase in the
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minimum wage. the indonesian economy grew by 6.5% last year, but with that growth comes a higher cost of living. demonstrators carried signs on the 2011 l requiring salary reductions to cover social security and health benefits. the law is expected to go into effect in 2014. but workers say those costs should remain the government's responsibility. similar protests have been recently held in other cities around the country as workers urge the government to protect them. one of the world's most famous traveled denations. now the idyllic island on southern thailand has plans to lure a growing segment of the mark. the predominantly buddhist country makes up nearly 25% of the world's population.
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here's the report. >> seeking sand and thailand's famous hospitality. they include rising numbers of muslim too. from the middle east, india and other parts of southeast asia. one of the annual events shows what the island has to offer muslim guests. visiting the fair, threw his weight behind the plan. >> if we want to cater for all sorts of clients and tourists, we need to be sensitive to their demands. >> it's a big concern for muslims when they travel. with that in mind, halal means
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permissible. >> this restaurant has -- diners can eat with confidence it uses only permitted ingredients with no pork or alcohol. many tourists find the frequent halal signs reassured. >> i think it's the best place. it has a lot of halal food, restaurants. it's a very nice place. >> a new type of islamic culture has also opened. this hotel we're coming into muslim guests features prayer mats and signs pointing to mecca. it also has copies of the koran available. the hotel is located -- it
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boasts a restaurant and rooms. it has islamic designs to appeal to muslims. >> translator: since we opened this islamic hotel last year, the number of guests is increasing. we can support muslim tourists 100%. >> reporter: thailand is a mostly buddhist country, but in phuket, nearly 40% of people are muslim. tours are gaining popularity. this island has an ancient plate built by muslim fisherman about 200 years ago. bringing alcohol or pork on to
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the island is strictly prohibited. everything here is of course halal. >> we're surprised, the muslim. in the middle of the beach. >> translator: we welcome all travelers. any nationality, religion, or cultural background. providing various haral services for muslim travelers is a must for us. >> reporter: phuket hopes demand from the muslim world will take its tourism industry to a new height. the lesson is that taking account of other peoples values isn't just a matter of respect. it's also good for business. nhk world, phuket. that's going to wrap up our bulletin. i'm in bangkok.
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the world's tallest broadcast tower, tokyo's sky tree, marks its six-month anniversary this week. one of the capital's biggest tourist attraction has drawn almost a third more visitors than expected. but some shops around the sky tree aren't reaping the rewards and are actually seeing falling sales. thursday marked the anniversary of the main opening of the 634-meter high structure in tokyo's ward. the sky tree's operator says nearly 3.3 million people had visited the tower's observation decks at 350 and 450 meters as of wednesday. that's 30% more than anticipated. the company also said the tower and the attached commercial complex attracted a total of nearly 28 million visitors. 50% more than forecast. but it's not boom time for everyone. the shopping districts around the sky tree had expected a business surge but it never
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came. on the contrary, some shops seeing declining sales. one street is home to about 70 stores. some shopkeepers say many people visited when the sky tree was under construction, but recently, even the locals have stopped coming. this grocery store has been here for almost 40 years, but as many local people now prefer going to the commercial complex at the sky tree, sales have dropped to 20 to 30%. >> translator: i think it can't be helped at the minute. people usually want to enjoy shopping at any new place they visit. still the situation is much worse than i ever expected. >> the office has sent an expert to the area. the management consultant visits shops where sales are holding steady to see what they're doing right. these candied vegetables are traditional in the area. the shop has increased sales by about 20% in the last few months.
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since the opening of the sky tree, staff have been trying to chat with customers for longer than before. customers can go inside the factory and see how the traditional confectionary is made. the shop is luring people in by sharing the experience of an old-town tradition. >> translator: if we do nothing, businesses will see the tower go. so we'll have to appeal to them with something that can't be found elsewhere. >> thed office is pull together the know-how from successful businesses. by the end of the year, its aim is to share those tips with the area's struggling stores. >> translator: some shops are appealing to customers by shedding light on old traditions from different angles. i hope they'll provide good examples and help create more successful cases, so we can see better results all around. >> local shops continue to make better use of the strong appeal
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of the sky tree and to pull in more customers. jab niece japanese seismologists have a lot of data in determining earthquakes. one took in the earth's size and topography. he says the maximum strength possible is around magnitude 10. a professor researches the science of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. he points out a magnitude 10 earthquake would release more than the 9 tremor that struck japan. the largest hit chile with a magnitude of 9.5. the seismologist says a magnitude 10 would only occur under particular circumstances. for example, the fault that spans 8800 kilometers along the northern pacific rim trench would have to shift by 20 meters. >> i'm not saying a magnitude 10
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earthquake will definitely occur. but people should be aware of what could happen. >> the professor says such an earthquake would result in tremors lasting 20 minutes to an hour and trigger tsunami for several days. experts have been predicting another large quake will strike japan. they say one area atrice being is the southern coast. government officials estimate as many as 320,000 people in the region could die. they say a major tremor could strike the prefecture especially hard killing up to 80,000 people. nhk world took a look at how residents at one town are trying to prepare. >> reporter: if there's a major earthquake, people will have to head to higher ground no matter what time of day or night.
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they face the pacific and a tsunami could be up to 18 meters high. the local residents are no strangers to disaster. this area is often hit by typhoons and heavy rain forced them to leave their homes during the night. planning sessions are held to ensure everyone can get to safety, even in the dark. >> translator: older people will need help to reach the high ground. >> an alarm sounds the start of the evacuation drill. in this scenario, a ten meter high tsunami has been forecast. the residents have ten minutes to reach safety.
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it's so dark, people can't see the signs pointing out the escape route. the evacuation takes longer than expected. >> translator: it's really dark. if there is a real tsunami, i don't want to waste time getting to safety. >> translator: if there is an earthquake, it will probably knock out the power supply. it worries me to think we'll have to rely on flashlights in the pitch darkness. >> reporter: on this escape route, there are red lights on either side of the steps, showing the way up. they also indicate the height of above sea level, red for elevations of under ten meters, green lights where it's over ten meters. in the darkness, these lights are people's only guide for reaching the evacuation area.
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>> translator: i didn't see any signs. the only thing i looked for was whether the light was green. >> translator: our goal is to save people's lives and prevent casualties. we have a lot to do, but we're tackling it one problem at a time. >> reporter: the threat of major earthquake and tsunami is not being taken lightly in wakayama prefecture. and in this community, that means knowing how to reach safety, even in the dead of night. nhk world, wakayama. for those of you celebrating thanksgiving in the united states, meteorologist robert speta is here with the weather forecast. robert? >> well, there are some rough spots out here, actually, across the americas that we're continuing to watch. first, let's look at the dakotas where a storm system is moving through here. you could be seeing 10 centimeter of accumulation coming down here.
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of snow. with that same system, we have a cold front stretching across the ohio, even into the mississippi river valley. that will be bringing rain showers for you. thunderstorm activity going through your thursday. but the rest of the americas looks rather dry. on friday, though, we are watching a storm system moving into the pacific northwest, already affecting british columbia here with some gusty winds, even heavy rains. that's expected to track off here towards the east. take a look at the sunny sky down there toward the southwest, along the east coast, plan on enjoying your thursday and getting out there for autumn weather. well, it does look like it's going to be rather decent. but let's talk about those temperatures. because this cold front will be dropping things down drastically. in the central plains. minneapolis, 13 here on your thursday. going down to minus 3 on your friday. same here over towards memphis. look at that, down to 9 degrees on your saturday. single digits across the board, across much of the eastern seaboard going through the weekend here. very chilly, very autumn like,
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and it does look like a taste of winter in some of these places as temperatures drop below the freezing mark. talking about a taste of winter. look at japan in towards hokkaido, you could be seeing about 25 centimeters of snow throughout the next 24 hours due to a storm system moving out of eastern china. it's not just this storm system that's bringing in messy weather across japan on friday. another one down here toward the south, coming out of southeastern china. that's going to be bringing widespread rain showers across the eastern seaboard and the pacific side of japan here, even some gusty winds with it and cooler temperatures. actually in tokyo on friday, the low is expected to go down to about 8 degrees. rather chilly. i know it's a holiday, but if you have any plans outside, you'll likely be wanting to move them inside. now, we do have high pressure ridging behind us, so good news is on saturday, going into sunday, fair weather will be ridging in from the west. but this is already bringing some dry weather across portions of china here. even temperatures are dropping down.
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actually, ulan bator, take a look at your high. minus 8 here. beijing at 7. a little farther to the south, 12 and 11 in china. shanghai. south of that front, things warm up in the tropics. sfwoil the 30s. in tokyo, 11 for your high. to start off your weekend. now let's take a look over towards europe, where the same weather pattern has really been in place here. one system after another moving across the northwest into the scandinavian peninsula. the british isles, you have been continuing to see some heavy rain showers. actually high wind and heavy rain warnings are in effect across much of the uk, even off there towards ireland. you'll still be seeing this going through the next several days. a break in store, but another storm system will start to work its way in from the southwest, pushing its way off towards the northeast. across much of central and eastern europe, things remain on the dry side. good news for you. it looks like temperatures will remain rather cool. going into the early part of next week, do expect another storm system to start to work its way, really change this
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pattern across much of southern europe. expect some wet weather, but that's not until about monday or tuesday. for the time being, single digit temperatures in london and paris. as we look off toward the east, moscow only looking at 2 here for your high on your friday. now here's a look at your extended forecast.
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we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.
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